As most of you know our company, Westgate Resorts, has continued to succeed in spite of a very dismal economy. There is no question that the economy has changed for the worse and we have not seen any improvement over the past four years. In spite of all of the challenges we have faced, the good news is this: The economy doesn't currently pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is another 4 years of the same Presidential administration. Of course, as your employer, I can't tell you whom to vote for, and I certainly wouldn't interfere with your right to vote for whomever you choose. In fact, I encourage you to vote for whomever you think will serve your interests the best.

However, let me share a few facts that might help you decide what is in your best interest.The current administration and members of the press have perpetuated an environment that casts employers against employees. They want you to believe that we live in a class system where the rich get richer, the poor get poorer. They label us the "1%" and imply that we are somehow immune to the challenges that face our country. This could not be further from the truth. Sure, you may have heard about the big home that I'm building. I'm sure many people think that I live a privileged life. However, what you don't see or hear is the true story behind any success that I have achieved.

I started this company over 42 years ago. At that time, I lived in a very modest home. I converted my garage into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you. We didn't eat in fancy restaurants or take expensive vacations because every dollar I made went back into this company. I drove an old used car, and often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business — hard work, discipline, and sacrifice. Meanwhile, many of my friends got regular jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a nice income, and they spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes.

My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into this business —-with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford to buy whatever I wanted. Even to this day, every dime I earn goes back into this company. Over the past four years I have had to stop building my dream house, cut back on all of my expenses, and take my kids out of private schools simply to keep this company strong and to keep you employed.

Just think about this – most of you arrive at work in the morning and leave that afternoon and the rest of your time is yours to do as you please. But not me- there is no "off" button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have that freedom. I eat, live, and breathe this company every minute of the day, every day of the week. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. I know many of you work hard and do a great job, but I'm the one who has to sign every check, pay every expense, and make sure that this company continues to succeed. Unfortunately, what most people see is the nice house and the lavish lifestyle. What the press certainly does not want you to see, is the true story of the hard work and sacrifices I've made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and people like me who made all the right decisions and invested in themselves are being forced to bail out all the people who didn't. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed 42 years of my life for. Yes, business ownership has its benefits, but the price I've paid is steep and not without wounds. Unfortunately, the costs of running a business have gotten out of control, and let me tell you why: We are being taxed to death and the government thinks we don't pay enough. We pay state taxes, federal taxes, property taxes, sales and use taxes, payroll taxes, workers compensation taxes and unemployment taxes. I even have to hire an entire department to manage all these taxes. The question I have is this: Who is really stimulating the economy? Is it the Government that wants to take money from those who have earned it and give it to those who have not, or is it people like me who built a company out of his garage and directly employs over 7000 people and hosts over 3 million people per year with a great vacation?

Obviously, our present government believes that taking my money is the right economic stimulus for this country. The fact is, if I deducted 50% of your paycheck you'd quit and you wouldn't work here. I mean, why should you? Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, that's what happens to me.

Here is what most people don't understand and the press and our Government has chosen to ignore – to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Instead of raising my taxes and depositing that money into the Washington black-hole, let me spend it on growing the company, hire more employees, and generate substantial economic growth. My employees will enjoy the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But that is not what our current Government wants you to believe.

They want you to believe that it somehow makes sense to take more from those who create wealth and give it to those who do not, and somehow our economy will improve. They don't want you to know that the "1%", as they like to label us, pay more than 31% of all the taxes in this country. Thomas Jefferson, the author of our great Constitution, once said, "democracy" will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not."

Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate business, not kill it. However, the power brokers in Washington believe redistributing wealth is the essential driver of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change they want.

So where am I going with all this? It's quite simple. If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, as our current President plans, I will have no choice but to reduce the size of this company. Rather than grow this company I will be forced to cut back. This means fewer jobs, less benefits and certainly less opportunity for everyone.So, when you make your decision to vote, ask yourself, which candidate understands the economics of business ownership and who doesn't? Whose policies will endanger your job? Answer those questions and you should know who might be the one capable of protecting and saving your job. While the media wants to tell you to believe the "1 percenters" are bad, I'm telling you they are not. They create most of the jobs. If you lose your job, it won't be at the hands of the "1%"; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country.

You see, I can no longer support a system that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, so will your opportunities. If that happens, you can find me in the Caribbean sitting on the beach, under a palm tree, retired, and with no employees to worry about.

Signed, your boss,

David Siegel

Oh, and my Facebook response to my old co-worker that posted it and turned it into a debate. I was being sarcastic btw...

Todd was joking people, calm down. He worked at Westgate just like i did and knows that everything in the letter is BS. It IS his company to do what he wishes, but only a fool would continue working for a person like that. Obama has nothing to do with this. Here is the truth about Westgate.

In 2004 the T.O.s were "encouraged" to contribute to the GOP or lose their jobs because of performance. Also, before Obama was elected, the economy crashed, thus the stimulus. The banks stop lending, but that's Obamas fault.

Also, because the housing bubble burst and the lending dried up, all Obamas fault, our pay raises were halted. I remember sitting in the office with one of the best men I ever met, Rob, and he looked me in the face and told me that my pay was cut but he didn't have a reason to tell me. Again Obamas fault.

I also remember commission reps were given the first half of their pay for selling a family and then the other half after 6 timely payments which weren't so timely at month number 5 causing them to NOT get paid the second half. How much further must I go? He even admitted that he broke the law to help Bush get reelected.

I can understand the people that defend him because they didn't work there, but the ones that have worked for him but still defend him are ****in idiots, literally because they lack reading comprehension skills. Or have a really bad memory.

that's funny, because in our line of work, we've seen nothing but exponential growth in the last 4yrs... (i work in the insurance industry... ironically all the laws the dem's pushed through didn't hurt us, just made us more busy with new work and selling more lines of business)

Someone needs to read Atlas Shrugged. Your former employer was correct about his dilemma but should not have put that burden on his employees. He should not be attempting to convince his employees who to vote for, and should not be threatening their jobs. If Obama gets reelected, taxes will increase and businesses WILL pucker up because of it, but using that information to force people to vote one way or the other is completely unethical.

I agree with his message, but I completely disagree with the delivery of that message.

Also, he didn't say he would gut his company, just that he will be forced to downsize if hit with a higher tax burden. He would have to hire more people to ensure the business complies with new federal regulations and taxes, and will have to make up for that cost as well as the costs associated with higher taxes and fees with cuts in other areas of the business.

So you said it create more jobs for insurance industry. Right this is what we need lolz ...

that's funny, because in our line of work, we've seen nothing but exponential growth in the last 4yrs... (i work in the insurance industry... ironically all the laws the dem's pushed through didn't hurt us, just made us more busy with new work and selling more lines of business)

Yeah, likely eats sleeps and lives his work if he constantly types up stories like that.

Im just very confused at his point thought. Says he likes to work hard and always invested 100% back into his company - but throughout his letter showed signs that he didn't care about anything but his bottom line, and if that was cut he would be on a Caribbean beach without any employees to worry about. Kinda like he would sell the place to get the money he said he don't have to be able to move far away.. and obviously not work himself. 42 years though, think its about time to do that!

Someone needs to read Atlas Shrugged. Your former employer was correct about his dilemma but should not have put that burden on his employees. He should not be attempting to convince his employees who to vote for, and should not be threatening their jobs. If Obama gets reelected, taxes will increase and businesses WILL pucker up because of it, but using that information to force people to vote one way or the other is completely unethical.

I agree with his message, but I completely disagree with the delivery of that message.

Also, he didn't say he would gut his company, just that he will be forced to downsize if hit with a higher tax burden. He would have to hire more people to ensure the business complies with new federal regulations and taxes, and will have to make up for that cost as well as the costs associated with higher taxes and fees with cuts in other areas of the business.

I love that book.

Yeah, likely eats sleeps and lives his work if he constantly types up stories like that.

Im just very confused at his point thought. Says he likes to work hard and always invested 100% back into his company - but throughout his letter showed signs that he didn't care about anything but his bottom line, and if that was cut he would be on a Caribbean beach without any employees to worry about. Kinda like he would sell the place to get the money he said he don't have to be able to move far away.. and obviously not work himself. 42 years though, think its about time to do that!

He doesn't car about anyone.

Let me give you guys some background on this guy. At 22 when I started working for this guy, I was quickly making $60k a year till I was about 24. Then I took a vacation with my girlfriend and when I came back, I was fired. Why? Because I took a vacation. That was the literal reason for me getting fired. Believe it or not, David is a cool guy. Pretty humble. His son tho, Steve? Is an *******.

In that line of work, you have quotas to meet. I always met my quotas, thus the reason I was making $60k quickly. I used to get bonus checks just because, we all did. I though it was the BEST job in the world and it was. 5 hours a day, 5 days a week? Can't beat that. But David gave control of the company to his son Steve, the screw up. They actually offered him $500k a year to stay home. He refused. He wanted to run the resort I worked at because his older brother Richard ran the other resort.

When he came on board, it was all about numbers but then again it wasn't. He was sleeping with the female reps so that they won't lose their jobs and they would get all the good tours. Families from Latin America, Bahamas and Brits were our best clients and they would get those tours which would in turn make them more money. When he decided to fire, it was for whatever reason they wanted. The first time I got let go I was closing at 34%, 13% is the minimum and 20% guarantees you have a great paycheck and a long career. And my VPG (Volume Per Guest) was $4400 and the minimum is $900. I did WELL. But I got let go and so did a ton of other people.

They fired me and called me back 2 weeks later and offered me my job back, at $27k. I had no other choice so I accepted. I left a short time later when I decided to work for myself and I've been on my own since doing MUCH better. The things I could tell you about this company would blow your mind. Trust me, these aren't the people you take up for, they are the ones you shoot.

Oh and I remember after firing 22 people in 2 days, Steve joked about how he just took his boat to the Bahamas and it cost him $4000 in gas just to get there. Nice.

Oh yeah and yeah it's his company and he can do what he want but don't claim you are struggling when you have a 90k sqft house and JUST bought a $400k Bentley.

The OP had a bad situation happen so now the owner who is actually correct and accurate is an ass?

This is exactly why businesses are failing even the employees think they own the place when they don't and don't bear the brunt if the business fails

But hey tax raises all across the board!!! We'll spend ourselves into oblivion before doing the right thing for the economy and our Country

Did you read anything I said? I work for myself and make more than $60k a year? Why would i be mad about that? o_O They gave me the training I needed in order to be who I am and I'm grateful for that. That doesn't change the tactics used to force people to fund/vote for the GOP. A guy just killed himself because I he got let go. You have NO idea the emotional stress that job entails. Imagine NOT knowing if that day was your last day on the job and it was for a reason that you wouldn't see coming. NOT because you sucked at it, but just because the company is going thru changes. But I wouldn't expect you to, you didn't work there.

And if you fire someone, why call them back 2 weeks later? They could have just stayed there in the first place.

Did you read anything I said? I work for myself and make more than $60k a year? Why would i be mad about that? o_O They gave me the training I needed in order to be who I am and I'm grateful for that. That doesn't change the tactics used to force people to fund/vote for the GOP. A guy just killed himself because I he got let go. You have NO idea the emotional stress that job entails. Imagine NOT knowing if that day was your last day on the job and it was for a reason that you wouldn't see coming. NOT because you sucked at it, but just because the company is going thru changes. But I wouldn't expect you to, you didn't work there.

And if you fire someone, why call them back 2 weeks later? They could have just stayed there in the first place.

I've worked at worse places, not all jobs are perfect, we all get over it in our own way.

Raising taxes slightly and cutting spending is the responsible thing to do.

That said, NOBODY is advocating across the board tax raises like you imply. You're arguing a point nobody is trying to make.

Obama has said many times that everyone's going to have to suffer to "fix" the economy, since you don't understand politic speak, that really does mean tax raises across the board, but what Obama has been successful in doing is paint an incorrect picture of those that make money and are wealthy and has somewhat successfully obfuscated the reality that not just the "evil" rich will pay more, ALL will pay more taxes, in one form or another you WILL make less under the Obama plans, your income means nothing

I've worked at worse places, not all jobs are perfect, we all get over it in our own way.

And I did. I make more than $60k a year, almost double that actually. Never collected unemployment OR food stamps and started 2 companies. Do I sound bitter? Even though you didn't say that it seems to be what's implied. The guy is an asshat and I know it personally. How do you extort someone by telling them that if they don't contribute to your political party they would be fired for "Poor Performance"? How do you do cut someones pay in half and try to justify it by lying and cooking your books? Trust me on this, he (Steve) is an *******.